


Silver and Bronze

by LiterallyThePresident



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 20:02:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15915279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiterallyThePresident/pseuds/LiterallyThePresident
Summary: Peter runs into an unexpected complication when he’s hired to kill someone at a masquerade





	Silver and Bronze

A masquerade ball was a fine place for a murder.

Well, murder was an ugly word, but Peter Nureyev was not one to sugar coat. Hit. Assassination. Murder. It was generally the same. But this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to steal the Jewel of The Great Red Spot, and damned if he was about to pass up an opportunity like that even if it came with the condition that he kill someone for his employer. His target would be wearing a bronze mask and a style of hood that was all the rage on Jupiter right now. That was all his employer knew, and so here Peter was, making his way gracefully across the dance floor as he charmed and smiled and kept a subtle eye out for anyone matching the target’s description

Ah, and here they were now, inelegantly making his way across the floor. Towards Peter. Towards their death. Peter hid a sigh. This would be messy, but the ensuing pandemonium would be enough to distract everyone and ensure his getaway to the vaults. He wondered for a moment what the poor person did to earn his employer’s ire, but pushed such thoughts aside. No room for second guessing, after all. He subtly changed direction, moving casually towards the target. He wove around the crowd in such a way that his shoulders brushed with theirs.

“Excuse me.” he said, and the target stiffened. It was the perfect opportunity to bury his blade into their gut. The knife sank into soft flesh, and the breathless sound they made was hidden under the throng of the crowd. Peter held them as they stumbled, making it look like they’d simply had too much to drink, but the scent that hit his nose made him pause for just a moment. Phaser smoke, cedar wood, dust after rain. The target’s bronze mask slipped off, clattering to the floor like the knell of a funeral bell, and Peter Nureyev found himself staring at the face of the man who broke his heart. Juno Steel’s lips were parted with surprise, his beautiful eye wide as it pierced his very soul. Peter’s heart stopped dead in his chest, ice flash freezing the blood in his veins.

“Nureyev...?” Juno’s voice, the oaky, musical voice he’d heard in his dreams and fantasies since he’d met the insufferable man, was weak. Wavering. Surprised to see him. Peter’s hands began to shake.

“Juno...?”

—-

Juno couldn’t breathe. The world was tunneling, black closing in on his vision as he struggled to breathe. But those eyes, _oh_ , those beautiful dark eyes. The sight of them, so achingly familiar, hurt worse than the stab wound did.

The stab wound. He’d been stabbed. By Peter Nureyev. He was going to die at the hands of the one he loved.

That... wasn’t so bad.

So why did Peter look so horrified? Why were his eyes wide and wild? Why did he look the the floor had disappeared from under him? Why did he look like his world was ending right before his eyes?

“Juno.” his name slipped past bloodless lips like a prayer, “Juno, why are you... You’re the one they... No, no no no no no...”

“S’okay.” Juno felt blood on his lips, but he wanted to comfort Peter, wanted to get that desolate look off his face, “It’s... okay...” His knees gave out. He crumpled, but Nureyev’s arms were there to catch him. He was lowered to the floor with more gentleness than he deserved, his head cradled close to a pounding heart. Peter was yelling, to him or the crowd he wasn’t sure. Tears were slipping from behind the gaudy silver mask, falling onto Juno’s face like raindrops as Nureyev begged him to hold on, stay with him, don’t leave him again.

He was sorry. But more than that, he was ready to sleep. At least he’d die in Peter Nureyev’s arms.

—-

He woke up in an unfamiliar hotel room, far fancier than he’d ever tolerate in his right mind, with a view that told him he was still on Jupiter. His stomach felt like it was on fire, and he grit his teeth to hide a wince. He couldn’t stop the groan, unfortunately.

“Easy.” a soft voice murmured from beside him as he finally registered the hand stroking his hair, “Relax. I see you’re tense as always, detective.”

“Nureyev?” he croaked, shifting his head to look at him. The man looked as put together as always, the unfairly elegant bastard. It was only because Juno knew him intimately that he could single out the tense lines of his eyes and the out of place hairs, the way his collar was ever so slightly out of place. By Nureyev’s impossible standards, he looked positively disheveled.

“We must stop meeting this way, detective.” Nureyev said in that all-too-casual voice, “You gave me quite the scare.” Juno had so much to say to him. But...

“You look like shit.” was what came out of his mouth instead of something like ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘I fucked up’ or ‘Why did you save me’ or ‘Take me now’

“After so long, that’s what you have to say to me?” Peter laughed humorlessly, “I don’t know what I was expecting.”

“Nureyev-“

“Juno.” Peter cut him off, “Ignoring our history, I must ask, why were you here? I didn’t take you for the masquerade ball type.”

“Favor for Vicki.” he admitted, “I told her no, but she blackmailed me with childhood photos she swindled out of Mick.” Peter blinked, and then his face softened imperceptibly.

“Of course.” he murmured, “You’re impossible, Juno.”

“Hey, give the stab victim some slack.” he sighed, and then immediately regretted it as Peter’s eyes shuttered, “Nurey-“

“I’m afraid I’ll be in a bit of trouble for a while, so I’ll have to lay low.” he said casually, not looking at Juno, “My employer didn’t take well to my backing out of our deal.”

“Yeah, I have a few questions about that.” Juno tried to sit up, failing miserably. The lines around Peter’s eyes got tighter.

“Sit.” he pushed Juno back down, “Relax, you impossible thing. You’ll tear your stitches.”

“Who hired you to kill me?” Juno continued, eyes focused and dark. Peter gave the name instantly. And then blinked, like he hadn’t actually intended to tell him. A poetic part of Juno wanted to attribute it to his ‘piercing stare’, as Nureyev had once put it, “When he gave me the target, he didn’t give me a name. I should thank you, Juno, for reminding me. I should always ask for the target’s name.”

“Yeah, no shit.” he groaned, “When can I walk again? The place is so goddamn fancy it’s making my skin crawl.”

“You shouldn’t be walking for at least another week.” Peter said shortly, “You were stabbed.”

“I am not lazing in bed for a week.” Juno said flatly.

“You have to.” Peter said, his tone brooking no argument, “Doctor’s orders.”

“Which doctor?” Juno demanded, and Peter chuckled.

“Me. I have a doctorate on Neptune. Forged, but still.” That at least earned a snort from Juno, and something in Peter seemed to unintentionally relax at the sound.

“I’m leaving tonight, Nureyev.” Juno rolled his eyes fondly. It was like That Night had never happened. Until Peter glared.

“No.” Peter scowled, “You’re not.”

“You need to run from your employers and I need to get home.” Juno shot back, “So I’m going.”

“This room is safe.” Peter growled, “We’re fine.” Juno glared back.

“I have to go. I’m sure you don’t want to see me any more than have to-“

“Juno-“

“-so I’m gonna get out of your hair and let you move on-“

“Juno, as appealing as the idea of tying you to this bed is, I’d hate to have to resort to it.” Peter gripped his wrist tightly, the touch setting Juno’s skin ablaze. He smirked.

“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” Juno couldn’t help it. It was so easy to fall into the old bickering with Nureyev. Fuck, he’d missed him. Peter chuckled, grip softening somewhat.

“How is it that you can make me stop being angry with you so easily?” he murmured, stroking his wrist with a thumb, “It really isn’t fair. I had a speech all prepared and everything.”

“Please tell me you don’t have cue cards.” Peter cracked a grin at that, but it was wan.

“No, apparently a knife will do just as well.” he said with false cheer, no longer meeting his eyes. Juno frowned.

“Nureyev, it’s fine. You didn’t know it was me.”

“I stabbed you.” Peter’s voice cracked as his smile started to slip, “If I hadn’t gotten you help as quickly as I did, I would have killed you.”

“Nureyev, really-“

“I would have _killed_ you.” Peter was tense again. He brought Juno’s hand to his lips, hesitating only a moment before pressing them to it, “You would have died thinking I hated you.” he murmured against his skin. Juno’s heart ached for him.

“I’m sorry.” he said, voice cracking a little, “I’ve hated myself for leaving since that night. I told myself it was for the best.”

“How could breaking my heart have possibly been for the best?” Peter asked, trying very hard to appear casual, and failing miserably. Juno had to wonder if he’d been slipping in his acting skills lately, or if he was only this bad around Juno, “I waited in that hotel room for two days.”

“I’m sorry.” Juno said. It was all he could say, “I wanted to protect you.”

“Protect me?” he laughed incredulously, “ _Protect_ me? Please, Juno, the day I need you to protect me is the day I no longer deserve you.”

“You deserve better than me.” Juno said, and Peter huffed against his hand.

“This is a conversation for another time.” he squeezed Juno’s hand, “And there _will_ be another time.”

“Yeah.” Juno swallowed, “Yeah, okay.” Peter looked like he didn’t believe him, and Juno felt ashamed.

“Now.” Peter scooted closer, “Tell me how you’ve been.”

“You still planning to hold me hostage here?”

“Of course. You’re my patient.” Peter patted his hand, “Allow me to keep you entertained.”

Juno sighed. Maybe... Maybe he could stay this time. Just to ease Nureyev’s mind. Just for a little bit. Nureyev’s eyes were dark and fathomless and filled with a terrible hope.

How could Juno even think about shattering it again?

**Author's Note:**

> Based on an ask I saw on tumblr. I hope whoever request it saw this cuz they were anon


End file.
